National archives :
U.S. Army Chief of Transportation "Historical Program Files"
World War II historians should also take note of the records of the U.S. Army's Office of the Chief of Transportation (OCT), "Historical Program Files, 1940 50," which contain documentation of the role of the U.S. Army in the rail transportation system in the United States and information concerning foreign railroads during World War II. These files include records relating to army operation of all or parts of the U.S. railroad system in 1943, 1946, and 1950. A long report entitled Plan for the Possession, Control, and Operation of the Railroads by the Army, dated December 27, 1943, describes the army plan, mandated by executive order, to seize control of the nation's railroads in response to the threat of rail union strikes set to commence on December 30, 1943. The purpose of the plan was to ensure uninterrupted rail service in moving troops, war material, and equipment for the war effort. Army control of the railroads, assumed on December 27, 1943, was terminated on January 18, 1944, as the threat of strikes ceased.(21)
Other records in this file include historical reports of the Military Railway Service and the Transportation Corps, Rail Division; army technical manuals, plans, and regulations on hospital railway cars, railway kitchen cars, other troop cars, locomotive repair shops, and locomotive inspections; army field manuals concerning the Military Railway Service and the Railway Operating Battalions; copies of The Yankee Boomer, a newsletter of the Military Railway Service; reports concerning wartime traffic control and the relationships between OCT and the Interstate Commerce Commission and the Office of Defense Transportation; records of the American Association of Railroads including the scripts of The Line Behind the Lines -- The Story of Railroads in War, a series of ten weekly radio programs; correspondence concerning civilian labor recruiting due to manpower shortages; and a report entitled American Rails in Eight Countries: The Story of 1st Military Railway Service, which tells the story of supply and service in Europe during the war.
The Southern Railway System wrote a report called Well Done, which describes the efforts of Southern to teach the fine art of railroading to American soldiers who would be operating military railroads overseas. Southern trained the 727th Railway Operating Battalion and other units a total of six thousand officers and men. Also included in these records are the annual reports of the Pullman Company for the years 1942-1945 and the Railroad Retirement Board, 1942-1945.(22)
The U.S. Army Military Railway Service prepared reports on foreign railroads in Europe and Africa, including Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Libya, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, and Portugal. These reports include photographs, maps, charts, and general information concerning the status of foreign railroads in 1942-1943.(23)

https://goo.gl/c3BBtt 

Railway Signaling and Communications, Volume 38 1945

Edward's son Mark is working hard digitizing (scanning)  and sharing photos of his father's service!
Thanks, Mark

 He writes ...My father was a med tech with that unit which confirms what I could discern from the 700+ photo archive I have of his. It seems that as a med tech with the support group instead of front lines he had a lot of time on his hands.

This is what's he's working on .. it's up to us ( the kids and grand-kids of the soldiers) to honor their service.

Wilhelm Saris let us know his book about German Reichsbahn Railway Eagle was released


You may purchase a copy here www.bender-publishing.com

Previous article about the project here http://militaryrailwayservice.blogspot.com/2013/04/german-deutsche-reichsbahn-railway.html

Mr F. A. Murphy Presentation of a plaque with a RMB German Reichsbahn-eagle and two affixed metal plates by Major W.H. Hathaway to Mr F.A. Murphy. (1 May 1945)

This eagle was captured and returned to the US after the war by Capt. William McCormick. McCormick was a member of the 772nd Battalion and rolled over the Rhine into Mainz Germany in 1945 for the express purpose of rebuilding the rail lines and communications. During his exposure to the German Railway system he managed to obtain a railroad eagle and he additionally managed to obtain the letters mounted under it. He took care removing the items as the studs are present not only on the bird but on the letters themselves. It was packed carefully in a unique box and sent home to his wife in Georgia. The eagle measures at 600mm (24.5″) and is undamaged retaining it’s studs. The letters retain their studs and measure approx. 3.5 inches in height. In addition, period correspondence, newspaper articles, and the unit history for the 722nd are included in the collection as well as notes to his wife on the holiday. Note:

Read more HERE

  



Sally is working on her dad's, Captain Ralph H. Deets photos from the 741st ROB and the 710th Railway Grand Division. Here is a little sample- Thanks Sally

727th various documents.pdf by Nancy

Last Pershing.pdf by Nancy

765thRSB booklet.pdf by Nancy

US army exp railway center.pdf by Nancy

774Transport Batt.pdf by Nancy

791.pdf by Nancy